Internet Marketing Industry In Pakistan.

The Internet Marketing industry is booming in Western Countries, but many other countries still have to see the boom. Being a Pakistani I’ve always wished that our Country’s Internet Marketing industry picks up and generates financial support which is much needed for our economy. As an experienced Internet Marketer with over 9 years of experience how do I see the Industry in Pakistan?

Signs are promising but Professional Maturity is needed if we wish the industry develops in Pakistan.

Why do I say this? Because till now Internet Marketing is being considered as an Earning Opportunity and not as an Industry. Until we start taking Internet Marketing as an industry it will never develop as it has in other countries. Pakistan is a very lucrative market for Internet Marketing if the Industry is developed because of many reasons:

• Internet usage is high in cities.
• Mobile Internet usage is Developing fast.
• Social Media is an integral part of the youth’s Internet routine.
• Discount/Offer hungry mindset.
• Highly Talented Internet Marketing Professionals.

I have been telling all my corporate friends who own local businesses to use Internet Marketing to their advantage. Especially Social Media because Advertising on Facebook is still very cheap for Pakistan. Take the following example to understand the cost benefits we currently have over the western markets:

So you can see the advantage companies have if they start advertising right now before the market rises in Pakistan. Currently only Cellular Networks have taken Online Marketing Seriously and are advertising on various venues. I’ve seen companies, hiring a single person as the Internet Marketing guy who will handle everything! This is the Professional Maturity I’m talking about! One person can’t do everything. Internet Marketing is a very specialized field with experts in every branch. A person who is an expert Email Marketer might not likely be such a great SEO. A company must understand that Internet Marketing is best done in a team. Companies which have done effective Internet Marketing understand what I’m saying and if done correctly companies know that results are better then any other Advertising the companies do. One benefit of Internet Marketing for a large company is Public Relations and Reputation Management.

Social Media and other venues act as a great place for companies to manage reputation and handle Public relations. Many companies are actively promoting themselves and handling customers via Facebook pages and these companies have seen great results and customer interaction. Social Media is a great way for companies to get close to their customers and get valuable feedback which was very hard any other way.

Above I talked about how the market is still wide open for companies in the Social Media same is the case in Search engine rankings too. The local industry is still available for companies to get good rankings in.

So now what should be done to develop the industry in Pakistan? First of all we should start thinking of Internet Marketing as an Industry not an Earning Opportunity. Our companies should also start understanding the needs of Professional Internet Marketers and instead of considering them as someone needed just to remain with market the market trend and handle Facebook pages, they should consider them as someone who can boost their Sales Graph, Take Customer Satisfaction To Higher Levels, Increase Lead Generation etc.

Some companies don’t hire Professional Internet Marketer’s because of the High Salary Demands, what companies don’t understand is that a Professional Internet Marketer can earn back to the company many times what they pay them and Professional Internet Marketers are well paid if they work as Freelancers for International Firms so why would they come for a Local company’s job at lower financial compensation.

I hope that the Internet Marketing industry develops in Pakistan so that we local Internet Marketers can work for our local companies instead of International firms as Freelancers.